While marriage is enjoined in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá’u’lláh
clarifies that it is not obligatory (Q and A 46). Shoghi Effendi, in a letter
written on his behalf, also declared that “marriage is by no means an
obligation”, and he affirmed that “in the last resort, it is for the individual
to decide whether he wishes to lead a family life or live in a state of
celibacy”. If a person has to wait a considerable period of time before finding
a spouse, or ultimately must remain single, it does not mean that the
individual is thereby unable to fulfil his or her life’s purpose, which is
fundamentally spiritual.
- The Universal House of Justice, the ‘Notes’ section
of the Kitab-i-Aqdas)
